5 Ways to Save Big on Recruiting Videos
Recruiting videos are an essential component to any good athlete’s portfolio. Many college coaches don’t have the time or budget to travel and watch high school athletes at their games. So having a professional highlight video online is the best way to get a college coach to see you play.
Coaches need to evaluate your abilities in competition and in practice. Having a highlight or game video allows them to see your technique, physical fitness, and coach ability. Without a video, all that coaches have are stat sheets, which don’t demonstrate enough to them. They need to see you playing in games.
Getting a good recruiting video made can be pricey if you don’t know what you’re looking for. A video camera (if you don’t already have one), blank film tapes, professional editing, DVD discs, and postage for mailing—it all adds up! We understand that parents and their families want to save as much money as possible when going through the recruiting process. That’s why we have come up with some money-saving tips when putting together your recruiting videos.
Use Varsity Footage Only
While coaches want to see how a player develops during their time at high school, you and your athlete should really focus on the time spent playing on varsity (usually junior and senior years). You should film as much as you can during competitions (and practice, if available) throughout the season. Highlight videos should only be between four and six minutes long, so after two or three games, you should have enough footage for your first video. As the season progresses, you can get more footage and create another video. These videos will allow college coaches to see your progress during the season, so the more you film, the better!
Record it Yourself
While hiring a videographer may be tempting, you can save a good amount of money by shooting the footage yourself. Or if you can’t make it to a game, talk to another parent on the team who might be able to film for you. All you need is a video camera and some blank tapes, and you’re set to film. Getting footage from different places and angles is a good idea too, anywhere that the coach will be able to see the player clearly. Getting a good shot of the entire playing field is also a good idea so coaches can see all movements of the game. Filming can be quite simple when you know what to look for and how to use the camera!
Pick the Plays Yourself
Once you have your footage, you will need to figure out which plays to use for your highlight tape. Instead of having someone else work on your footage and analyze the tapes, just do it yourself. There are hundreds of recruiting videos online where you can get an idea of what to look for in your tapes. Watch your game footage and take notes of what plays you want to include and write the time on the track when you see it. Compile a list of those plays and work with the editor to make the best video possible.
Shop Around for an Editor if You Need One
There are definitely some features of your recruiting video that you may not know how to get done. If you don’t know how to cut video, spot-shadow the players, or add title screens, text, or music, you might want to consider finding an editor. Your recruiting video is one of the most important aspects of your recruiting profile, so it’s important that it’s done right. Just make sure to do your research when looking for an editor. Get quotes from several different services or ask around your child’s team to see if another parent or student knows how to put one together.
Post it Online; Don’t Make DVDs Unless You Have To
You can save yourself a good chunk of change by not relying on making DVD copies of your recruiting video. These days, there are several good video-sharing websites where you can upload your video for free. It is much easier for coaches to click on a link that you send them than it is to unwrap your DVD and put it into their DVD player or computer. Using a website like YouTube or Vimeo also allows you to update the coaches with new video more easily and without the cost of DVDs or postage for mailing!
Send us your recruiting video link in the comments section below, and we can evaluate your film. Or if you prefer, send it to us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+!